Chapter 8: Clan Guardian (2)
Sighing loudly, Kai fell on his butt weakly. Even though he didn't need to sleep, exerting his body after getting the seal wasn't totally recommended but he did it.
[Konoha Basic Taijutsu (10/10): Basic taijutsu skill passed down to every aspiring ninja. Training in this skill passively trains the body. Improve physique by 1 point at each level and increased mobility while using this skill. Stamina Consumed: 1.8/min]
The only reason he wanted to complete all the skills was just to keep the slots open. He could only practice five skills at a time and now that he had another skill tree to go through, he felt that it was imperative to make use of this time.
[Quest Successful]
[Clan Quest: A Tail
Summary: Mistress Mito worries that her Grand-niece would need some support settling in. Be that crutch.
Rewards: A New Title; A New Skill
Failure: You will rub the Uzumaki feet until they die or you.]
[Title Acquired: Uzumaki Guardian]
[Skill Tree Acquired: Uzumaki Basic Seals]
[Title Acquired: Senju Guardian]
[Skill Tree Acquired: Senju's Basic Jutsus]
Unlike the [Student] title opening everything that the academy has to provide, the two Guardian titles clearly didn't just open the treasure trove of the two clans... but it was worth it.
[Uzumaki Guardian: Increases the affinity with all Uzumaki members. Opens the Uzumaki Basic Seals and reduces the requisite conditions to level up for any skill from this skill tree by 20℅]
[Senju Guardian: Increases the affinity with all Senju members. Opens the Senju Basic Jutsus skill tree and reduces the requisite conditions to level up for any skill from this skill tree by 20℅]
He looked at the back of his palms and sent a pulse of chakra, revealing a red spiral mark on his right and a black vajra symbol on his left. To make things official and have the Senju's backing, Mito called back the only person who didn't need Kai's guardian services— Tsunade. This way, he is technically in the same situation as Kushina as he is with Tsunade but his obligation lies only with the tomato.
And it was obvious that the 20℅ decrement in conditions of the skills was more potent than [Student] Title but Kai would still be willing to learn the basics of the academy and then move forward... why?
Uzumaki skill tree required a mastered sealing skill... that could only be learned from Mito and the Senju Skill Tree could only be started once his chakra capacity hit 1000 points.
So, he would invest in them later.
For now... he turned to look at the second and final skill under the Taijutsu category of the academy skill tree—
[Basic Chakra Enhancement (0/10): Flows chakra into the limbs and body that increases the body's attributes greatly. Every level increases the temporary rise in strength by 10℅. Increases the physical stat by 1 each level. Reduces chakra cost by 3℅ every level. Current Chakra Consumption: 120/sec.
Next Level: Use this skill for 15 minutes or use 2 SP.]
Everything was strange about this skill from its chakra consumption to its effects to be only called basic... and the fact that there wasn't any hint of this technique in the academy. No, the Ninja Academy's curriculum ONLY taught Konoha Basic Taijutsu and nothing else. But he didn't think that this skill was some mysterious secret, no. This skill could most likely be taught to a few special individuals by a special someone. It could be one of the guards in the academy of the Hokage itself.
Still, even if Kai purchased the skill, squandering 10 SP now that this skill's rarity was known, he didn't feel right spending 20 more points on leveling it. No, the skills in the future will be even rarer and costlier. He would rather...
*Whoom*
Activate the skill, feel its effects, and two seconds later...
*Thud*
Meditate to quickly recover chakra and grind!
***
"You look... like a ghost," Mikoto noticed the obvious as she found Kushina oddly silent today as she continued to sneak worried glances towards the boy. The academy was bustling but... Kai felt like sleeping. Again, he didn't need to. He just wanted to. The grind almost overcame him this morning... but he managed. Yet...
[Basic Chakra Enhancement (0/10): Flows chakra into the limbs and body that increases the body's attributes greatly. Every level increases the temporary rise in strength by 10℅. Increases the physical stat by 1 each level. Reduces chakra cost by 3℅ every level. Current Chakra Consumption: 120/sec.
Next Level: Use this skill for 7/15 minutes or use 2 SP.]
Damn this skill is hard to grind with his puny reserves... but Kai felt that such a skill wasn't even for Minato who had double the amount. This skill demanded too much to be taught in the academy unless...
He looked at Kushina, Mikoto, and Nawaki...
The trio had the most chakra in the classroom. In fact, when it came to chakra capacity, he and Minato could be barely considered average...
"Are you two okay?" Mikoto inquired and already informed that the secret of clan guardian is not be disclosed until they graduate, Kushina kept her silence while Kai groaned, "I couldn't sleep last night..."
Kushina winced, thinking it was her and the seal's fault while Mikoto sighed, realizing that it must be a clan issue that couldn't be disclosed, and giggled to avert the conversation by cooing and fussing, "Aw, the poor baby didn't get his sleep?" Her hand snaked around the boy's shoulder and pulled him down in time just before the Sensei entered the classroom while keeping Kai's head on her lap and whispered, "Sleep up, we have thirty minutes before we go to the training ground and I want to have a good spar."
Kushina shrugged at their antics but couldn't help but snort internally. What the hell was HER guardian doing on an Uchiha's lap?
'You know what... she's got a point. Gotta bring my A-game for such a bold action.'
With that, he dozed off happily until he groggily woke, realizing he had already walked into the training ground and she stretched his arms and yawned loudly!
He looked a little taller than yesterday, a fact only Minato caught because he studied Kai quite a bit. This was just the effect of enhancement in physique stat and in time, this will get even more obvious.
Today, the first session of the taijutsu training session began and the first half of it included getting assigned sparring partners by the teacher himself as they would spar one by one and have their techniques assessed by their Sensei. Only after this would come the free sparring session later on.
Their Sensei held the clipboard in his hand and made others stand in a single area before calling out the first two names.
"Kai-kun, Tsume-chan, you'll be the first two sparring partners." The man declared as Kushina and Mikoto were full of shit and giggled while Kai... felt remorseful. Why with that boisterous bitch? Anyone but her...
Alas, he had to step out. The only reason their Sensei would let them freely spar is to initially assess their capabilities not just in punching or kicking harder but their awareness, too. Kai was the youngest and the shortest stack in the group who used his frame to his advantage but he wasn't alone. Although rare, there were still a few children younger than most who used their bodies to their advantage, and one of them happened to be the 6-year-old Tsume Inuzuka. Kai's spar just happened to be more attractive, that's all.
But... as he feared, the tiny stack of bestial vibes in front of him growled the moment he stepped out.
Tsume had long spiky brown hair like a head of a mane, her black pupils vertical and a red fang mark on either side of her cheek set her different from others. She was barely taller than Kai and grinned, revealing her sharper than usual canines, "I'm gonna beat you!" She exclaimed proudly.
'Inuzuka... and their pack mentality... they're actually more interesting to a certain extent,' Kai idly wondered. Inuzuka clans used ninken, or companions in other words, alongside them and were more of a pack than a clan with the strongest leading the pack always... Kai looked at the girl and tilted his head slightly. He didn't like her enthusiasm one bit. Not after being showered with such enthusiasm daily...
"Hmm, don't waste too much time and form the seal of confrontation," Sensei remarked as the two did just that and he exclaimed the match to start only for the impatient Kai to rush forward while Tsume barked a boisterous laugh and rushed in his direction, too. Both of them instantly threw hands. It was easy to control the level of finesse he wanted to reveal. Although he now had the Uzumaki and Senju backing, he can just take it easy. After all, he won't be graduating anytime soon since Kushina is a dunce who wouldn't study theory at all.
And soon, the inevitable happened. Seven seconds in, and Tsume was on her butt, a tiny fist that seemed far too large hovered over her face as she winced and looked past it, finding Kai staring at her calmly.
"Alright, the spar ends here. Form a seal of reconciliation," The Sensei smiled as Tsume groaned and stood up. Pouting even, but she held Kai's outstretched middle and index finger in a seal and looked at him...
'The fuck are you looking at me like that for?!' Kai glared at the short stack whose smile bloomed further as if his aggressiveness was the last thing that bothered her.
After imparting a bit of advice on what Tsume could have done better, they stood by the sidelines as others began to spar one after another. Their Sensei clearly placed everyone based on their size and capabilities but of course, some would stand out like Kai. Minato had Nawaki on the ground a few seconds in, too. Then came Kushina and Mikoto who weren't really evenly matched but again, Mikoto was just somewhat laidback when compared to others and gave Kushina a full chance to try her hardest in the spar. After all, they would be sparring quite often from now on if their Sensei's matchup was any indication...
---
"Fight me!" The Inuzuka exclaimed for the umpteenth time, sitting next to the equally boisterous tomato as Kai felt he was too young for this shit. However, he glanced at Mikoto with a hint of necessary caution. As laidback as he is, the Uchiha won't take a loss evenly, and even if calmer and more polite than the two eager to throw hands with a child youngest of them all, Kai felt that Mikoto is just the kind of person who would easily do something sneaky and look the other way.
"Sit down, we still have a lot of time. We can all spar today and I'll make sure he won't run to Minato!" Kushina grinned. Not particularly fond of the Inuzuka but also not averse to her.
"Hmm... ugh, I'll wait..." Tsume muttered as if committing to a great task...
On the other hand, Minato fidgeted and looked in their direction. After yesterday, maybe the most eager one in the class to spar with Kai was Minato himself! Others won't do it for him any longer... not once he'd have a taste of Kai's—
Fists!
But Nawaki Senju just happened to be the most durable of the group.
On their side, Mikoto and Kai silently formed a seal of confrontation and shot at one another. The difference was noticeable. Unlike when she fought Kai yesterday or Kushina this morning, Mikoto was quicker. More agile and definitely deadlier as she seemed to be uncaring of his short stack advantage and swept her leg down towards his ankle, expecting him to fully use some unorthodox means again. But she was ready if he decided to retreat or jump—
Alright, she didn't expect him to run around her.
Damn it!
Mikoto hurriedly used the momentum of her kick and turned the sweep into a back roundhouse kick and jumped in tandem to spiral midair and land quickly.
"Woah~!" Tsume exclaimed while Kai was already onto Mikoto. Like, he jumped on her face!
"Hey!" Mikoto revealed an irritated expres again and kicked toward him in a single motion that would smack his body to the ground but Kai was more nimble since yesterday. His physique having wholly improved quite a bit as it is, he slammed his hands onto her legs, letting the impact make him fly away while the girl grimaced at the ache she felt below her knee.
One would think that massaging skills gave Kai a brief introduction to the human body, how to relieve its pain... and the area where the pain felt is greater...
Although sneaky, Kai beamed at Mikoto. He needed to return the favor of using her lap!
Not giving Mikoto a chance to fully come to terms with the pain, Kai rushed to the woman and their spar only intensified. Alas, the big fan of inevitability he was, Kai had to make sure things went just like yesterday. Mikoto on her knees and his tiny frame over her victoriously... wait, phrasing!
"I win," Kai smiled, stretching his arm out with the seal of reconciliation as Mikoto finally inflated her cheeks in an indignant pout. Huh, first time for everything, Kai wondered as she held his fingers softly and glared at the boy seriously, "I'll win tomorrow!"
"Of course," Kai beamed childishly, "And I'll be roasting flying pigs tomorrow, too!"
Heh, one good thing about Mikoto was that her brain wasn't smooth and understood some advanced law of insults as such, she snorted and swiftly smacked the back of his head before stomping and retreating to the side for rest.
"My turn~!" Kushina chortled while Kai... he looked towards Minato and found him looking back with the same longing look. Oh, they both realized how they would benefit from one another... but...
Kai was stuck with the Uzumaki, Inuzuka, and the Uchiha.
Minato was stuck with the Senju and the stoic but furious Hyuuga.
They shook their head. It would seem like the world was against their pure and intellectual reunion...
But good thing he had a trait, huh, Kai smiled and shrugged eventually, happy to train his body by expending his stamina to the greatest extent as possible and spar with the trio one after another nonstop or until he felt thirsty.